A Study on How Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Could Impact the Construction Industry

Tan, Zhen Hui (2023) A Study on How Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality Could Impact the Construction Industry. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University College.

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Abstract

Although the concept of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) has been around for quite some time, these technologies have recently been trending due to the success of Pokémon Go. On top of that, players in the construction industry have also started to take notice of the potential of these technologies, which brought the massive potential to the development of the construction industry. With the help of VR, interior designers, architects and engineers can visualise the project they are working on by stepping into their 3D models in a virtual environment. On the other hand, with the help of AR, site personnel can virtually see information such as the location of the piping works precisely, which is helpful for project quality management. Nevertheless, AR and VR are not the norm in the current Malaysian construction industry. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the current state of adoption of reality technologies in the construction industry in Malaysia and provide the latest research on their practicality and applicability in various construction projects. Qualitative research method is used in this study in which semi-structured interview was carried out with 5 interviewees who are familiar with AR and VR. Data abstracted from the transcript of interviews was then analysed by using thematic analysis method. At the end of the study, the findings revealed that AR and VR can be applied as a tool for project visualisation, training personnel, project quality management and so on. However, these technologies also have technical limitations such as requiring a stable internet bandwidth to operate and could cause nausea. It is thus recommended that developers and government agencies should take the lead and invest in these technologies to ensure that AR and VR can be adopted at its best in construction industry with increase performance